The present invention relates generally to process control networks and, more specifically, to a user interface that integrates a process control configuration system with a field device management system.
Before the advent of computer systems, manufacturers had difficulty accurately controlling, operating, and maintaining chemical, petroleum or other processes of even a moderate level of complexity. For example, in order to open a valve, the valve would have to be manually adjusted, which often meant sending an employee to a distant field location. The advent of computer systems allowed the development of controllers to monitor and manipulate large numbers of field devices such a valves and sensors in predetermined manners through a communication network connected to the field devices in a process control network. Furthermore, before computer systems were applied to field device management tasks, tracking, testing and maintaining the elements in a process network was a challenging task. For example, to verify that a valve was working properly, an inspection of the valve would be required, which often meant traveling to distant field locations. The introduction of computer systems allowed users to track and maintain field devices without having to travel to the field location to inspect and test the field devices.
Modern process control networks, such as those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, generally include a centralized process controller communicatively coupled to one or more field devices which may be, for example, valve positioners, switches, sensors (such as temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), etc. These field devices may perform physical control functions within the process (such as opening or closing a valve), may take measurements within the process for use in controlling the operation of the process or may perform any other desired function within the process. Process controllers have historically been connected to field devices via one or more analog signal lines or buses which may carry, for example, 4-20 mA (milliamp) signals to and from the field devices. More recently, however, the process control industry has developed a number of standard, open, digital or combined digital and analog communication protocols such as the FOUNDATION(trademark) FIELDBUS (hereinafter xe2x80x9cFieldbusxe2x80x9d), HART, PROFIBUS, WORLDFIP, Device-Net and CAN protocols which can be used to implement communications between a controller and field devices. Generally speaking, the process controller receives signals indicative of measurements made by one or more field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices, uses this information to implement a typically complex control routine and generates control signals which are sent via signal lines or buses to the field devices to thereby control the operation of the process. In some cases, the controller may coordinate control activities performed by the field devices.
Workstations, which are typically connected to the controllers through communication connections such as a direct or wireless bus, Ethernet, modem, phone line, and the like, have processors and memories which are adapted to run software or firmware such as process control configuration systems and field device management systems. Process control configuration systems are typically used to configure a process control network and to enable control of a process during runtime. These configuration/control tasks include, for example, setting-up and designing a system, viewing a connection arrangement in the system, designing and creating control configurations or process control solutions, changing control configurations and connecting field devices to a system, documenting system hardware and software, etc. Process control configuration systems often perform these tasks using a configuration database that stores information about the manner in which devices are connected within the process and how those devices are controlled to implement the process. In some cases, the process configuration system uses a graphical interface to enable a user to view the location of field devices within the system, to view the code (such as function blocks) being used in the system, to view what a process control solution (which may used to control all or part of a process) looks like, etc. An example of a process control configuration system is Delta V(trademark) system sold by Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
Field device management systems typically perform functions related to communicating with individual devices to change the configuration or settings of a device, to obtain information stored within the device or within a field device database associated with the device, etc. This information may be, for example, status information, (e.g., whether an alarm or other similar event has occurred), device configuration information (e.g., the manner in which the device is currently or may be configured, the type of measuring units used by the field device), device parameters (e.g., the field device range values and other parameters), etc. In addition, field device management systems may enable field devices to be commissioned by, for example, changing the field device range values or other like parameters of the field device. An example of a field device management system is the AMS(trademark) system sold by Fisher-Rosemount, Inc.
However, the process control configuration system and field device management system used by current process control networks are different programs, which means that a user must view process set-up and other information using a process control configuration system running on a workstation and must switch to a separate workstation or to a separate program to view field device specific information provided by a the field device management system. This separation of systems is inconvenient to users, may require duplicate hardware and necessitates that users be trained in multiple systems.
A user interface for use in a process control network that operates according to a process control solution includes a controller that implements at least a portion of the process control solution, a plurality of field devices communicatively coupled to the controller and a workstation communicatively coupled to the controller, the workstation including a processor, a memory and a display. A process control configuration system is stored in the memory and is adapted to be run on the processor to manipulate process control configuration information stored in a process control configuration database. Likewise, a field device management system is stored in the memory and is adapted to be run on the processor to implement communication with respect to field device management information stored in one of the field devices or in a field device management database associated with one of the field devices. An interface adapted to be run on the processor passes data between the process control configuration system and the field device management system to enable simultaneous use of the process control configuration system and the field device management system while a display routine displays both process control configuration information and field device management information via the display. The display routine may produce a plurality of icons on the display, wherein each icon represents a different field device associated with the process control configuration information, and a routine may call the field device management system upon selection of one of the icons by a user to thereby obtain field device management information related to the selected field device.
According to another aspect of the invention, a user interface system is adapted to be used in a process control network having a controller communicatively coupled to a plurality of field devices, a process control configuration database and a workstation having a display and a processor communicatively coupled to the controller. The user interface system includes a memory, a process control configuration system stored in the memory which accesses process control configuration information stored in the process control configuration database, a field device management system stored in the memory which accesses field device management information from one of the field devices and an interface that passes data between the process control configuration system and the field device management system to enable simultaneous use of the process control configuration system and the field device management system.
According to still further aspect of the invention, a method of creating a user interface includes the steps of operating a process control configuration system that displays images representing process control configuration information on a display, determining when an image on the display is selected, searching a memory for identification data related to the selected image and communicating the identification data from the process control configuration system to a field device management system through an interface. The method then searches for field device management information related to the identification data and displays the field device management information on the display with the process control configuration information.